Skiing gym tips 101: One-footed Bosu ball hops

September 21, 4:34 PMDenver Ski Instruction ExaminerKevin Jordan

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Denver Ski Instruction Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

One-footed Bosu ball hops. Photo: Kevin Jordan 

Here is a way to improve our agility and stimulates the muscles to help strengthen our legs. It also simulates skiing in moguls since the Bosu ball kind of looks like moguls, blue moguls to be more exact.

Get two Bosu balls and lay them flat on the floor with the blue side facing up. Space them out, about three to four feet away from one another. Stand on our left foot next to one of the two Bosu balls. Hop from the floor to the top of Bosu ball number 1. Being careful not to roll our ankle while landing on top of the Bosu ball. Next, hop from Bosu ball 1 to the floor in between the twoBosu balls. Now jump from the same left foot up to the top of Bosu ball number 2. Next, hop from the top of Bosu ball number 2 to the floor. Stay standing on our left foot and come back the other way. Congratulations, we just completed one rotation!
 

One-footed Bosu ball hops.  Photo: Kevin Jordan 

Now stand on our right foot and do the same thing going both directions, left and right. Hop from the floor to the top of the Bosu ball, then the floor, then the top of the next Bosu ball, and back to the floor. Do a set of fifty of these where each leg gets to hop both directions twenty-five times. Then, do three sets of fifty and our legs will be feeling the burn, but they will be in better shape for ski season!

When we perform these exercises, it simulates some of the lateral movements we make when we ski. By isolating muscles and using only one foot, we have to use our agility and balance to keep ourselves upright. In addition, it gets our mind thinking about skiing moguls since the Bosu balls look like moguls.
 

One-footed Bosu ball hops.  Photo: Kevin Jordan

Variations on this exercise

To add variation to our routine, do a set of fifty (each leg twenty-five times) and then do a set of twenty-five two-footed hops. For example, we could do a set of twenty-five on our right leg. Then do a set of two-footed hops over the Bosu balls. Finally, do a set of twenty-five on our left leg. 

For increased difficulty, increase the height. Instead of using Bosu balls, we can use benches, like the ones used for a bench press, or other objects in the gym. Set them up so you can jump about one foot to one and a half feet high. Do the same as above, hopping on one foot from the floor up to the bench, then back to the floor and onto the next bench. With added height, also comes added danger. Be careful and make sure you can do the one-footed Bosu ball hops before you attempt to jump up to the benches.

As with anything, start small and then work our way up. If we are not one-hundred percent certain on how to perform an exercise, seek out a personal trainer or a member of the gym staff. It is always better to ask for help, then to injure ourselves unnecessarily.

Good luck and the countdown to ski season is underway! Today is the last day of summer and it is snowing in Colorado!